Coouncil: Housing issues highlight the social divides

Following on from the article in the paper (July 2 ‘Last ditch housing’), it’s nice to see the true colours of our councillors, including Councillor Mitchell, in the way that they have not moved into the 21st century yet.

The article reminded me of why we have so many problems in the world, particularly those in South Africa and the issues of race and colour as is often the case in many other parts of our world. Or religious segregation like those we see in the far east.

My apologies to anyone if I seem offensive on this matter, but it does get my back up when we live in a multi cultural society and people bring someone’s social background into arguments.

Where I was brought up, my parents taught me that how much a person had or the colour of their skin, had no bearing on the actual person. It was what was inside the person that counted.

The reason I mention this is that for far to long now, there has been a divide in Elmbridge between ‘social’ housing and ‘private’ housing. I refer to the comments made by Councillor Mitchell saying “they have lived in close proximity to council housing stock”.

Does this make us second-class citizens living in housing trust property? (Sorry to correct you about the type of property no longer being council stock, Cllr Mitchell — I would have thought being a councillor for so long you might have at least remembered the council sold off its stock!) No, it does not.

The Northfield estate is probably now over 50 per cent private tenants, and our houses are valued in the same tax bands as ‘normal’ people.

Wake up Elmbridge, get into the 21st century. A planning matter should be discussed on its merits and nowhere in the planning application should it refer to the type of people that will live there (as I was told about Bennett’s Close some years ago).

You can’t sell all of your stock off, then moan that you want someone else to build it for you, that’s called a dictatorship. A house is a house, the only difference is how much you sell it for in Elmbridge. Either people live in it, or it’s for commercial use.

Paul Collins ,

Hamilton Avenue,

Cobham.

PS: It’s nice to see that the skate board park is being spoken about again, I only wrote to the council in 1987 about this possibility and bring it up every year. Every month someone stops me and asks how is the skate park going? Mainly 18/19 year olds who have no use for it themselves now!